Battery-charging apparatus



BEST AVAiLABLE COP.

Mmh 16 1 926.

' A. J. HORTON BATTERY CHARGING APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 17. 1920 INVENTOR.

7 ATTORNEY Iii) Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

UNITED STATES BEST AVAILABLE C(DPv PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J. HORTON, on WHITE mains, nnwxonx, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTLER-HAM- MER MFG. 00., on MILWAUKEE, wrsoonsm,acomeonnrron or WISCONSIN.

isnrrrnnz-cnaneme APPARATUS.

Application filed January {7,1920, Serial lfo, 3512,181. Renewed August 3, 1925.

Y '0 all whom it may concern.

Beit known that I, ALBERT J. Hon'ron, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vhite Plains, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Battery-Char ing Apparatus, of which the followin" 15 a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification. l

This invention relates to charging apparatus for storage batteries, and while'not limited thereto, is particularly applicable to charging apparatus for'the batteries'of electric vehicles.

Owing to the possibility of a heavy inrush of current upon connection of suchjbatteries to a' charging line, it'h'as Ibeen found" i1npracticable to complete the chargingcon'riecv tions therefor by the coupling devices commonly employed to connect-the terminals of the batteriesand chargin'g line? and. heretofore it has been the. practice ,to "complete the charging connections manually through the medium of a separate switch after'eoupling of the terminals Thus,'where 'the charging apparatus is located inside of a building withconnection's to' outlets in'thc street, whereby vehiclesmay be chargedat the curb, suchpractice is very inconvenient.

The present invention has among its' objects to provide charging apparatus for bat-- teries employed in the aforesaid and other relations which will complete thecharging connections automatically followiug coupling of the battery and line terminals.

Another object is to providecharging apparatus of the aforesaid character which will not require any modification of; the present equipment of such electricvehieles and which will enable the use of circuit breakers forautomatically stopping the charge as heretofore. s v

- Another object is to provide charging apparatus adapted foruse as a unit of sectional charging equipments.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one embodiment of the invention which will now be described, it being understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms falling within the scope of the ap pended claims. In the drawing,

Figure 1 illustrates the apparatus diagraimnatically; and

. Fig. 2 illustrates a preferred form of relay for such apparatus.

Referring tdFig. 1,' there is illustrated a battery B to be connected through a suitable coupling d'e'yice 1 to a charging circuit L, I. having therein the usual fuses 2 and 3 and charging resistance Ry A manual switch 4 is provided" in one side of the charging circuit to interrupt the same at will and it may beass'umed that the battery has associated. therewith acircuit breaker such as lisf'now: commonly employed to interrupt,-

t h 'e charging circuit .,when the battery is fully cha 1ged1 f Anelectroinagnetic switch is provided .Iorj completing the charging circuit after closure,o .f sivitcli 4 and, coupling of thebatteryf and' line terminals.

This switch. whicli is'preferably-of the clapper type, is PI'QY idedQwiiZ-lran auxiliary contact (Eclec- Itrical lyconnectetlttodts clapper and adapt- :ed 1tq"n0i-m;1 i1y.en agea stationary contacti'ii, A lso', said switch is provided with an insulated auxiliary contact 8 adapted to norm allyfiengage' and bridge stationary contactsltl and: 10, the latter having connected:therebetween a resistance r.

A relay 11, having an operating solenoid .12, is provided to energize the main switch followiiig coupling of the battery and line terniinals, said solenoid having a dash pot .13 to afford a definite time element. This relay isfprovided with a contact arm 1% normally engaging a stationary contact and a contact arm 16 adapted to engage a stationary contact 1?, the arrangement being such that upon responseofthe solenoid the arm 14 is disengaged from con-tact 15 while the arm lfi'is engaged with contact 17. As .wi-llappear, the solenoid 12 is tie-energized upon response of the switch 5 and for holding the relay thereafter the same is provided withaa-n electromagnet 18. lVhile in practice the ,relay may assume any desired iorin i t is preferably constructed as shown i ;.Fig.- 2: v As shown in Fig. 2 both contact armsare pivotally supported on an arm 19 of a rock shaft 20 and are respectively biased thesu itch o i I Y through disengagement of contact 8'--from towards their co-operating contacts by springs 21. The contact arm 16 is normally held out of engagement with its stationary coma my :5! stop 93 tlje'gfree end of arni 19' but is permitted to engage said contact when arm 19 is rocked towards the latter. flhe contact l4,....on.-the.otheri hand, n orinally engages. its stationary c onta.ct but has a pin arranged in the path thereof whereby itis disengaged rr'om' s'aid c'onta ct when them-11119 is 111QVe d tQW2I1 QlS t l;l latter. The rock shaft "is operable the solenoic 12 in a well knonynmanner and has an arm Connected by a l ilili 26- to the arnlature 27 of electroniagnet 1 8 ,":\yl 1ereby the shaft is locked against are back rotation when the electroniagn e t;18l is energized.

The circuit connections are such that when the switch 4 is placed in-a vertical position the coupling device l series to complete .c ircuit from one terminal of fillet battery through fuse 2 and charging V resistance 'R to the clapper o f siyitfch '5 'i and'l thence.

through its auxiliary cdntaets 6 and??? 'by conductor 28 through'theyyfndinglof sole o 2, by c d c o .:tl 'fei g fia fi$ ance a to ,andthrotigh cont-acids 15 spam and rocli shaftofrela' 'l l,' hy'.'conductor 30 to contact 4"0f s)f1 tchf, frorn' which point the circuit ektentlsf-throughthe winding of electroinaignet 'lfi, "fuse and coupling device 1 to the opposite terrninal of the battery. Qo npletio hof this circuiteft'ects response of the solenoid'12, which aft'er a given time determined by the daslfpot fi, engages contacts 16 and 17 to 'con plete the circuitofswitch 5Q 'l l1 i s circuit m-aybe a d ro lin -I y eq dur e ifi through t wi es, ie wiwniu qrm through the auxiliary cdntactsf9',.l 8 and '10 of sa id switch, by conductor 33,throngh contacts 17 and 16 0f relay l'l, hyfcdnductor R1) to contact 4 of Is'witeh 4 and'tlienc'e through the arin of said'syyitchto line' L. Switch 5 being thus energized by current tron-i the chargingjcireiiit resp'onds to compiel'e the charging connections yt'lii cli, being designated by heavy lines, are oljviousnv ithout a description thereof.

"Relay 11 in responding also disengages its contacts 14 and 15 tomserta resistance -r'- in series wit-hits opera-ting winding-while in responding also "functions contacts 9"and 10to.inserta'resistance 1' in rics with its \iiinding. "Further, the switch ll responding disengages it's auxiliary contact/:6 from contact 7 thereby interrupting the circuit of solenoid 12. Inthemean-tiine,

howeyer, the electromagnet 18 isenergized .hylhe current fiowiijg in the charging circhit ,to hold the relay 11. a ainst release.

it will thus be obseri'that provision made for automaticallycompleting the charging connections upon engaging the parts of the coupling device 1 but that the current initially passing through the coupling device is limited to a safe value regar dles s of tlie"coircliti o'p"of the'h'attery. Also; it will he observed that failure of the charging current will de-energize electrovn1 agnetz18 tl1us releasing thev relay .11 and .therebyideeenergizingswitehe5, and; that accordingly said relay and switch will be de- 'nergi'ze'dnpoa' interruption of the charging connections either by the manual switch 4" or by a circuit associated \i'ith the battery as heretofore.

,fljlge apparatus shown consti utes a unit ,foi l 'ectignal charging" equipment and the s witchthereofis p'ryidc d with auxiliary contacts/1 hird'k-t .to he respecti\;'elj,' engaged 'by contacts on thcarm 4: to establish an'nneter a'nd :voltineter connections. Also, the Qltl ]ill8t 31 co ni iect ions have included thereinfa i eSiS ;3, ice r to prei ent cross curent ibe 'ree th -bat e y B n n) oth batter-g" connected to the yoltnieter siiiiulta neously therewith.

;Y\Tliatj-I claiin ai miw and desire to secure in: L t'teis .Pateli' In :,-'5s. i nhinat. e i lg. a ter), a charging circuit therefor, a device for coupling the ter ninals thereof, means "for ,noriigall y inte "rupting said circuit and for com- Bletp gsaul' circuit ,auto natically upon coupling'of said hattery ther to, said means including an. electro-responsiye deyice ha ring an .yvinding to be subjected by sai i c upling device t rre fro Sfl i Zljatteifyjtoindividually effect response therejof l nean's for d elaying' operation o. said electro *esp'o sive deyicgand means for dee ii erg i;ii ig s' id \yindi ng upon response or said 'de'i e. f ln'fcowbination, a storage battery, a

therefor: device for couthe terininals' thereof, means for normally interrupting saidcircuit and for compl eting said circuiit automatically upon coupling' 'of'said hatterythereto, said lllttlllS incl u t ing an electio responsive dc'rice ha ing operating andholding windings, thwforiner to'he siihjcctcd by said coupling device to current fronusaid battery to indiridually etl'ectoperation of said :device and the latterlPCing included in said charging circuit andnic'ans for delaying operation oi said .el ectro-responsive device. i

Eqln conihination' a storage battery, a charging circuit theretor a device for conpling the terininals thereof and electro-responsive n'eans normall nterrupting said charging circuit and responsive to com-- plete said circuit uponicoupling of the bat- 1,577,028 BEST AVAlLABLE COP.

said means being terminated by response thereof.

l. In combination, a storage battery, a charging circuit therefor, a device for coupling the terminals thereof and electro-responsive means normally interrupting Stl charging circuitand responsive to complete said circuit upon coupling of the battery thereto, said means having a plurality of windings, certain of said windings being subjected by said coupling device to current from said battery and being disconnected from said battery by response of said means and other of said windings being subjected to current from said charging circuit to maintain said means elfective to complete said charging circuit.

In combination, a storage battery, a charging circuit therefor, a device for coupling the terminals thereof and electroresponsive means normally interrupting said charging circuit and responsive to complete said circuit upon coupling of the battery thereto, said means including a circuitcontrolling device having an operating winding to be subjected by said coupling device to current from said battery and a holding winding to be subjected to current from said charging circuit and acting to interrupt the circuit of said operating winding.

(3. In combination, a storage battery, a charging circuit therefor, a device for coupling the terminals thereof and electro-responsive means normally interrupting said charging circuit and responsive to complete said circuit upon coupling of the battery thereto, said means including a circuit controlling device having an operating winding to be subjected by said coupling device to current from said battery and a holding winding to be subjected to current from said charging circuit and further in eluding a device for automatically disconnecting the former winding from said battery upon response of said means.

7.111 combination, a storage battery, a charging circuit therefor, a device for coupling the terminals thereof, a normally open electro-responsire switch in. said charg ngcircuit having an operating winding to be energized by c rrent therefrom and an elcctro-responsive relay responsive to current supplied from said battery through said coupling device to complete the energizing circuit f said switch.

8. In combination, a storage battery, a charging circuit therefor, a device for coupling the terminals thereof. a normally open clcctroresponsive switch in said charging circuit. having an operating winding to be energized by current therefrom, an electroresponsive relay responsive to current supplier from said battery tl rough said coupliug device to complete the energizing circuit of said switch and means for interrupting the battery connections of said relay upon response of said switch and rendering continued energization of said switch independent of said connect-ions.

9. In combination, a storage battery, a charging circuit therefor, a device for coupling the terminals thereof, an electro-rcsponsive switch for normally interrupting said charging circuit and an electro-responsive relay controlling the energizing circuit of said switch, said relay having an operating winding energized by current from said battery and a holding winding in said charg ing circuit, said switch in responding dcenergizing the operating winding of said relay.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ALBERT J. HORTON. 

